Vernon Treatt

On 16 August 1938, after only serving a few months as a member of parliament, Treatt was appointed as the Minister for Justice in the government of Alexander Mair, who had become Premier after Bertram Stevens was defeated in a motion of no confidence in the house.[12] In 1940, he was made a King's Counsel (KC).[13]

As Minister for Justice, Treatt generated controversy when it was alleged that he had acted to reduce a fine imposed on the Abbco Bread Company who had sold short-weight bread to the Department of Defence. It resulted in a Royal Commission in the matter from March to August 1941, chaired by Justice Maxwell, after a censure motion introduced by Labor Leader William McKell was defeated. He was removed of any suspicion in the findings with the Royal Commissioner finding that: "There is no evidence, nor any thing even remotely to suggest that the Minister was guilty of any misconduct or irregularity either in the conclusion reached by him, and fully shared by the permanent head of his department, that the fine was too severe or in the manner of his dealing with the company's application. From start to finish I can discover nothing suggesting any irregularity in any action by the Minister."[14]

He served as Minister until the 10 May 1941 election when the Mair Government was defeated in a landslide defeat, losing 20 seats. Despite this, Treatt retained his seat with a significant margin increase of 67.68%.[15] With the very poor results of the federal United Australia Party under Billy Hughes at the 1943 Federal election, the UAP disintegrated. A large number of former UAP members, including Treatt, then formed the Democratic Party in New South Wales, led by Alexander Mair, while others moved into the Commonwealth Party and the Liberal Democratic Party. The Democratic Party then merged with the Commonwealth Party in January 1944.[16] Mair resigned in 1944 to be replaced by Reginald Weaver, who then led the hopelessly divided conservative forces to defeat at the 27 May 1944 election, losing another three seats. Treatt retained his seat with 50.50%.[17]

In 1944, the Democratic Party and Commonwealth Party merged as the United Democratic Party, which became the NSW division of the Liberal Party a year later. The merged party's first state leader in NSW, Weaver, died in office in November 1945. Mair succeeded him, with Treatt succeeding Athol Richardson as Deputy Leader. After five months as Leader, Mair resigned in March 1946 and Treatt was then elected to succeed him as party leader and hence, Leader of the Opposition.[18]

The third Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Treatt became the first to contest an election. At the election on 3 May 1947, Treatt's Liberals and Michael Bruxner's Country Party failed to defeat the Labor Government, now under new Premier James McGirr, despite an overall swing of 4.5% and a gain of seven seats.[19] Treatt retained his seat with an increased 69.75%.[20]

As opposition leader, Treatt proved effective in attacking the shortcomings of the McGirr's Labor Government and in the Labor Party on a national level, particularly in areas of economics: "Because of the inflationary pressure, which is largely a result of the Socialists' own low production policy, continuation of subsidies is necessary on basic everyday goods ..."[21] and utilities: "The public is sick of seeing Ministers hunting up alibis, shifting about from one explanation to another and washing their hands of responsibility for powershortages on some flimsy pretext."[22] In matters of ideology, Treatt supported Federal Liberal Leader Robert Menzies in his firm opposition to communism, particularly from the Soviet Union, China and Korea. After returning from the Empire Parliamentary Conference in London in December 1948, Treatt declared "The Communists are on the move throughout the world. Australians must sit up and take just as much notice of what is happening across our narrow northern waters … It is of outstanding importance to Australia that the Western Powers' should secure some uniform policy to combat the Communist Asian menace."[23] Treatt led the Coalition again at the 17 June 1950 election, which resulted in a hung parliament, with Treatt's Coalition gaining 12 seats and a swing of 6.7% for a total of 46 seats. With the Labor Party also holding 46 seats, the balance of power lay with the two re-elected Independent Labor members, James Geraghty and John Seiffert, who had been expelled from the party for disloyalty during the previous parliament. Under a legalistic interpretation of the ALP rules, Seiffert was readmitted to the party (because he had not actually opposed an official ALP candidate, as Geraghty had) and, together with Geraghty, kept McGirr's government in power.[24] On 20 June, Treatt declared that he and his party would not make any concessions or compromises to the Labor Party, particularly in regards to the election of a speaker.[25] Treatt retained his seat with 76.09%.[26]

In his third term as Leader, Treatt criticised government cuts in transport services, but supported reductions in death duty taxes.[27][28] At a Remembrance Day address in 1952, Treatt criticised radical student politics embodied by the "long-haired intellectual types": "My belief in the value of university life and in higher education generally is a strong and abiding one … the sort of long-haired type I am thinking about may not even have a university degree. He is encased in self satisfied assurance of his own mental superiority."

In a speech at Sydney's Lyceum Hall, Treatt warned of Australia's attitudes on its success: "A sort of mental haze seems to obscure the vision splendid that lies before this country. We are proud of being a British country, a country with British traditions, institutions, and all those things which go to make up what we call our 'British heritage'. But this pride is not matched by a pride in being Australian. This seems to me one of the strongest sources of our weakness."[29]

The near loss of the election by Labor further weakened McGirr's position and he was replaced as premier by Joseph Cahill in April 1952. Cahill had won popular support as a vigorous and impressive minister who had resolved problems with New South Wales' electricity supply and in his first 10 months as premier had reinvigorated the party. He appeared decisive and brought order to the government's chaotic public works program. In addition, he attacked the increasingly unpopular federal Coalition government of Menzies.[30]

All this contributed to Treatt's Coalition being easily defeated at the 14 February 1953 election, with a total loss of ten seats and a swing against it of 7.2%.[31] Treatt retained his seat with 67.61%.[32] On 3 February 1954, Treatt received, along with Premier Cahill, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, at Farm Cove, Sydney, at the beginning of her first visit to Australia. This was first occasion on which a reigning monarch (as opposed to an heir-apparent) had set foot on Australian soil. Treatt was also present on 4 February when Her Majesty opened the Parliament of New South Wales, the first time a monarch had opened an Australian parliament.

After three consecutive election losses, Treatt was no longer able to control the factional infighting among the Liberals. The party's deputy leader, Walter Howarth, resigned on 22 July 1954, having complained that Treatt doubted his loyalty. Robert Askin, the Liberal Whip, took Howarth's place.[33] Howarth's resignation split the party and sparked a leadership challenge from Pat Morton, who criticised Treatt's "lack of aggression" towards the Labor Government.

At the party meeting on 6 July, Treatt narrowly defeated Morton with 12 votes to 10.[34] Nevertheless, he did not stay much longer as leader. On 6 August he announced that he would resign four days later:

"Following the unsuccessful challenge for the Parliamentary leadership, it was expected that there would be an end to activities so damaging to the party's morale and effectiveness. Unfortunately these activities have continued. The responsibilities of a political leader, particularly at the present time in New South Wales, are very heavy, and a leader giving of his best is entitled to receive the fullest support from every member of the party. This support has not been forthcoming, and without it the burdens on health and effectiveness would prove too much for any man."[35]

The subsequent party meeting produced no obvious candidate for the leadership. Neither Askin nor Morton could obtain a majority of votes. Accordingly, Askin asked another prominent Liberal, Murray Robson, to nominate himself. This solved the problem, and Robson became leader, although Treatt remained in parliament. On 17 June 1955, the Queen granted Treatt permission to retain the title "The Honourable" for life, for having served as Leader of the Opposition and the Executive Council of New South Wales.[36]